The new Driven Machinery Regulations come into effect on 30 September 2015. Are you ready?

While their battle to implement the Construction Regulations (from last year) continues, the DoL has now made changes to the Driven Machinery Regulations to bring it in line with the Construction Regulations.

It seems a waste of paper to me, with just slight changes in wording and phrasing, but you need to know about it.

Here's the low-down of what the new Driven Machinery Regulations 2015 is all about...

These Regulations come into effect on 30 September 2015.

The new Driven Machinery Regulations (DMR) (enacted in terms of Section 43 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993) were published on 19 June 2015 (and then re-published on 24 June 2015).

The changes to the Driven Machinery Regulations

Some new content has been added and some old content has been adjusted. This is to bring the Driven Machinery Regulations in line with some of the principles in the Construction Regulations, 2014.

Who the Driven Machinery Regulations apply to

The scope of application has been adjusted to include anyone who commission any driven machinery as well.

Regulation 18:
Regulation 18 now applies to lifting machines, lifting tackle and hand-powered lifting devices (previously not dealt with). The following important changes have been made:
• The manufacturer must be identified and their details must be on the machine itself;
• The requirements for inspecting of machines have become stricter and more specific- e.g. where there is no manufacturing standard, the machine must be tested with 110% of its safe load capacity.
• The inspector performing the inspection must have knowledge of and experience in the erection, load testing and maintenance of the specific kind of machine;
• Standard has been specified for lifting tackle;
• Training on a machine must be performed by a training provider accredited with the Transport SETA.

Regulation 19:
This is a new Regulation that deals with the approval and registration of Lifting Machine Entities.

Regulation 20:
This is a new Regulation that deals with the approval and registration of Training Providers.

Regulation 21:
This is a new Regulation that deals with the withdrawal of approval of a Lifting Machine Entity or a Training Provider.

Regulation 22:
This is the Regulation that replaced the old Regulation 19 which deals with offences and penalties. The jail time has increased from 6 months to 12 months and the fine is now unspecified. There's now also an additional day of imprisonment that can be added to a sentence for a continuous offence.

Regulation 23:
This Regulation cancels the old Driven Machinery Regulations and also states that users of goods-hoists are to comply with the Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations, 2010 by June 2020.

Read on for the impact of the changes...

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The impact of the changes to the Driven Machinery Regulations

As I mentioned earlier, there's an emphasis on accredited training as well as inspections being done by properly trained individuals.

The fact that all training must be done through an accredited body shows that the Department of Labour is trying to enforce more control over users of driven machinery. It's also a way for them to weed out those who aren't competent to use, inspect or train on the driven machinery as well as a way to guard against health and safety incidents relating to machines!

It also places a higher standard of responsibility on you as an employer. You must make sure you go through the right channels when training the operators and inspectors of driven machinery.

The only benefit I can see is that we'll hopefully notice a drop in incidents relating to driven machinery after 30 September 2015.

Let's see if this Regulation ACTUALLY does come into effect on 30 September 2015, of it's going to be moved again...

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